Governor



Dec. l5, 1953 D. J. scHAFFER GOVERNOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 9, 1951 IN VEN TOR.

Dec. 15, 1953 D. J, scHAFFER 2,662,512

GOVERNOR Filed May 9, 1951 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY Z4/X4@ LPatented Dec. 15, 1953 GOVERNOR David J. Schaer, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation,

South Bend,

Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application May 9, 1951, Serial No. 225,434

7 Claims. l

The present invention relates to a governor for an internal combustion enginaand more particularly to a governor having a member responsive to manifold vacuum for actuating an engine control element.

The type of governor with which the present invention is concerned contains a chamber having a movable wall connected to a throttle or governor valve, a conduit connecting the chamber with the engine induction passage on the engine side of the throttle valve, and a control Valve operated in response to engine or vehicle speed for controlling the pressure in the chamber. Atmospheric pressure normally prevails in the chamber and the movable wall has no effect on the operation of the throttle or governor valve, until the control valve is moved by a speed responsive means to the position at which manifold vacuum is admitted into the chamber. It has been found that when maximum speed is reached while the throttle valve is wide open, the movable Wall may fail to respond readily to the low manifold vacuum prevailing in the induction passage at that time and may remain sluggish until the throttle or governor valve has been moved slightly to- Wards closed position or until engine speed has increased to a point above governed speed where substantial manifold vacuum exists. It is, therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a means in a governor of the aforesaid type which will cause the movable wall to respond readily, even at low manifold vacuum conditions to move the throttle valve toward closed position when governed speed is reached.

Another object of the invention is to provide a governor of the aforesaid type which responds readily under all engine operating conditions regardless of the degree of manifold vacuum.

A further object is to provide a governor of the aforesaid type having an emergency speed control means adapted to assume control in the event the vacuum unit fails.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an internal combustion engine showing my governor installed thereon;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum unit of my governor shown mounted on the throttle body of a carburetor;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a carburetor throttle body;

Figure 4 is a top plan view o1" a throttle body (Cl. 12S-103) and vacuum unit of the governor, showing a portion of said unit in cross section;

Figure 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of my vacuum unit;

Figure 7 is a detail view of the control valve of the vacuum unit; and

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional View of a centrifugal governor unit.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, and to Figure l in particular, a conventional internal combustion engine I0 is shown, having mounted thereon a carburetor l2, a vacuum unit Eil connected t-o the carburetor throttle Valve I5, a centrifugal governor unit I6 connected to and adapted to be driven by the distributor drive shaft, and a ilexible power transmitting means I8 connecting the governor unit I6 with the vacuum unit I4. The vacuum unit is connected by a lost-motion connection to shaft Il! of the carburetor throttle valve which is urged toward open position by a coil spring 26 and toward closed position by a stronger spring 22 connected to the accelerating pedal linkage 23. The accelerating pedal linkage is connected to a pivoted lever 24 which in turn is connected by a one-way connection 26 to the throttle valve shaft I9 so that coil spring 20 will open the throttle valve as the accelerating pedal is depressed. The throttle valve is free to be closed by the vacuum unit independently of the accelerating pedal linkage, when governed speed is reached. The valve I5 shown in the drawings is the carburetor throttle valve having the shaft preferably offset in the direction favoring the tendency of air flow to urge the valve toward open position. The vacuum unit, however, may be attached to a governor valve disposed in the induction passage below the throttle valve. For convenience of' description, the term governor valve will be used hereinafter to refer to the valve controlled by the vacuum unit whether said valve is a throttle valve or a separate governor valve.

The suction actuated device lll comprises a multipart casing or housing 28 which is shown mounted on the carburetor throttle body 30. rfhe housing is provided with chambers A, B and C, the chamber A being in constant communication with atmosphere, chamber B adapted to be in communication with either atmosphere or manifold vacuum, and passage C being in constant communication with manifold'vacuum through conduit 32. A flexible diaphragm 33 separates the chamber A from the chamber B and is connected to throttle shaft i9 by a lever 34, rod 36, and sleeve 38 threadedly connected to a hollow bushing 4U which is secured to and extends through the diaphragm 33. A slot 39 is provided in lever 34 to form a lost motion connection between lever 34 and rod 36. The vacuum unit, as shown in Figure 2, is in its deenergized position so that the coil spring 20 is free to turn the shaft I9 to open the throttle l5 to the extent the operator has depressed the accelerating pedal.

The chamber B is adapted to be alternately exposed to suction and to atmosphere by means of a valve 44 so as to effect the operation of the diaphragm 33. The valve 44 comprises a hollow tubular valve member 45 which is reciprocally supported in bearings 4B and 59, bearing 48 being mounted in the partition between chambers B and C and bearing 59 being mounted in the righthand end of hollow bushing 4U.

rlChe hollow tubular valve member 4t is provided with ports Gi and 52. The bearing forms a `valve closure member for the port 60 and cooperates with the tubular valve member 4S to separate the chamber B from the chamber A except for such communication as may be permitted through ports 69, the milled grooves 64 shown in Figures 2 and 6, and the passage 66 provided by the inside of the tubular valve member 46. The left-hand end of the valve member l5 projects into the cavity or chamber 'i9 in the sleeve 38 which contains a port i2 connecting the cavity with chamber A. The left-hand end 14 of valve 4E is enlarged to provide a shoulder 'l for engaging bearing 5i) when the valve is initially moved toward the right by the centrifugal governor unit.

A cable Sil is connected to the end 82 of the valve member i4 within the chamber C by means of a set screw 84. The cable 88 extends through a tube 38 and at its other end is connected to a member 9G of the centrifugal governor unit l5.

The centrifugal weight mechanism 9| of the governor unit i6 is shown in its collapsed position and includes a plurality of weights 92 which are held in their retracted position by means of a spring 94. The weights 92 of the governor mechanism are rotated during engine operation, and when the engine attains a predetermined speed, the centrifugal force of the weights 92 will be sufficient to overcome the force of the spring 94 and cause said weights to Iiy outwardly, thereby drawing member 90 and the Cable 8d to the left (Figure 8). The cable 80 does not rotate and is connected to the governor mechanism 9| and the valve 44 so that the valve 44 will be positioned by the governor mechanism, the cable B for this purpose providing a positive two-way connection between the valve 44 and the governor mechanism.

As is common in governor mechanisms of the type shown in Figure 8, the Weights 92 will remain in their retracted position as shown until they reach the speed at which they are setto operate in response to the centrifugal force and will then overcome the spring 94 and move outwardly to the extent necessary to maintain the governed speed for a given engine load. When the speed of rotation of the governor decelerates below such speed, the spring 94 retracts the weights 92 and moves the cable so as to position the valve 4d in the position as shown in Figure 2. The position of shoulder in relation to bearing 59, when the governor mechanism 9| reaches governed speed with the vacuum in chamber B insufcient to actuate the diaphragm, is shown in Figure 6.

With the parts arranged as shown in Figure 2, it may be assumed that the engine is operating at some speed below the governed speed thereof. When the governed speed is reached, the governor mechanism 9| will shift the valve 44 to the right. If, under this condition, the throttle valve is Wide open, the manifold vacuum may be insufficient to readily move the diaphragm to the right and close the throttle valve. This difculty is overcome by providing shoulder 16 which engages bearing 59 during the initial movement of the valve and positively moves the diaphragm to the right and consequently promptly starts the movement of the throttle valve toward closed position. After the initial movement of the throttle valve toward closed position has occurred, the manifold vacuum rapidly rises and, being transmitted to chamber B through conduit 32, chamber C and valve 44, promptly actuates the diaphragm to further move the governor valve toward closed position.

When the weights return to their retracted position, the valve member 46 will move to the left and will shut oi the communication between chambers B and C, and establish communication between chambers A and B. This action releases the vacuum in chamber B and the spring 20 is free to open the throttle valve I5.

In the event the diaphragm should break, the centrifugal weight mechanism acting through member 99, cable 88, valve 44, enlarged valve end lf, 'bushing 40, sleeve 38, rod 36 and lever 34 will control the speed of the engine when governed speed is reached by said mechanism.

Modifications may be made to suit requirements.

I claim:

l. In a governor for an engine having an induction passage and a valve in said induction passage for controlling the air flow therethrough, a housing having a chamber therein, a diaphragm forming one wall of said chamber, a linkage for connecting said diaphragm to said valve, a means actuated in response to an engine operating condition, and a mechanical means operatively connecting said last mentioned means through said diaphragm to said linkage to cause an initial closing movement of said valve before said diaphragm becomes fully operative.

2. In a governor for an engine having an induction passage and a valve in said induction passage for controlling the air flow therethrough, a housing having a chamber therein, a movable wall for said chamber, a linkage for connecting said wall to said valve, a passageway for connecting said chamber to said induction passage on the engine side of said valve, a control valve for said passageway, a centrifugal means for actuating said control valve, and a means actuated by said centrifugal means for positively moving said wall in the direction to close said air valve before said Wall becomes effective to control said air valve.

3. A control means for an engine having an induction passage, comprising a valve in said induction passage for controlling the air flow therethrough, a housing having a chamber therein, a movable vvall for said chamber, a linkage connecting said wall to said valve, a passageway for connecting said chamber to said induction passage, a passage through said wall, a valve element adapted to move axially in said passage, and an abutment on said element adapted to engage a part movable with said wall to cause the initial movement of said wall when said valve element moves in the direction to admit induction passage pressure into said chamber.

4. A control means for an engine having an induction passage, comprising a valve in said induction passage for controlling the air flow therethrough, a housing having a chamber therein, a movable Wall for said chamber, a linkage connecting said wall to said valve, a passageway for connecting said chamber to said induction passage, a valve element for controlling said passageway, a passage through said wall, a valve element adapted to move axially in said passage and in unison with said rst valve element, and an abutment on said second valve element adapted to engage a part movable with said wall to cause the initial movement of said Wall when said rst valve element moves toward open position.

5. A control means for an engine having an induction passage, comprising a valve in said induction passage for controlling the air flow therethrough, a housing having a chamber therein, a movable Wall for said chamber, a linkage connecting said wall to said valve, a passageway for connecting said chamber to said induction passage on the engine side of said valve, a valve member for controlling said passageway, a passage through said wall, a valve member adapted to move axially in said passage and in unison with said rst valve member, an abutment on said second valve member adapted to engage a part of said wall to cause the initial movement of said wall when said rst valve member moves toward open position, yand a centrifugal weight means responsive to engine speed for controlling said valve members.

6. In a governor for an internal combustion engine having an induction passage with a control valve therein, a housing, a vacuum chamber in said housing, a movable wall for said chamber, a means adapted to connect said Wall with said valve, a passageway for transmitting vacuum to said chamber, a passage through said Wall, a valve member adapted to move axially in said passage, and an abutment on said member adapted to engage a part movable with said Wall to cause the initial movement of said wall when said valve member moves toward the position to admit vacuum into said chamber.

7. In a governor for an internal combustion engine having an induction passage with a control valve therein, a housing, a chamber in said housing, a diaphragm forming a wall of said chamber, a means adapted to connect said diaphragm with said valve, a passageway for transmitting vacuum to said chamber, a valve member for controlling said passageway, 9, passage through said diaphragm, a valve member adapted to move axially in said passage and in unison with said iirst valve member, an abutment on said last member adapted to engage a part of said diaphragm to cause the initial movement of said diaphragm when said first valve member moves toward open position, and a centrifugal Weight means responsive to engine speed for controlling said valve members.

DAVID J. SCI-IAFFER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name ADate 1,878,944 Lombard Sept. 20, 1932 2,138,100 Howard Nov. 29, 1938 2,142,403 McCullough Jan. 3, 1939 2,148,556 Hoof Feb. 28, 1939 2,189,475 Saur` Feb. 6, 1940 2,328,452 Hobart Aug. 31, 1943 2,366,908 Jenkins Jan. 9, 1945 2,379,180 Pohl June 26, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 252,380 Great Britain Apr. 21. 1927 

